


Where We Belong

by tsuristyle



Category: SMAP
Genre: Ambiguity, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-13 03:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9105106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsuristyle/pseuds/tsuristyle
Summary: Nakai comes home to his bandmates.(Warning: Not a happy fic. Depends on whose definition of happiness it is, though. Works best without spoilers, but if there are certain types of fic you absolutely don't want to read, see the notes at the end first. Written October 2014.)





	

Shingo lounges on Nakai's couch. On the television, his bandmate laughs and jokes with the stars. As if in another world. "Quit pacing, you're distracting."  
  
Kimura glances at the clock again. He furrows his eyebrows. "It's almost midnight. He should be home by now."  
  
Goro is in the washroom, drawn to the mirror as always. "Stop worrying. He probably just had filming run late again."  
  
"And yet he'll still insist on drinking before he goes to bed." Tsuyoshi drifts out from the bedroom with a yawn. "I keep telling him it's bad for his health."  
  
They pause at the sound of keys jangling in the hallway. The front door opens.  
  
"I'm home," Nakai says. He closes the door behind him. His face is drawn, pale.  
  
"Welcome back," Tsuyoshi answers, drifting closer. "Nakai-kun?"  
  
"They asked about it again." Nakai looks down, seeming to study the space between the doorway and Tsuyoshi's feet. "Why do they think I want to talk about it?"  
  
"Nakai-kun." Tsuyoshi steps forward, but Nakai still won't look.  
  
"You shouldn't be-- I don't want you to--" Conflict, twisting across his face. "If I'd been on that plane with you all--"  
  
"No." Kimura, his voice sharp. "We're here." Goro watches in the mirror, expressionless.  
  
Nakai struggles. "I have to move on." But it's only a breath, a whisper. He's said it before.  
  
Shingo trails his fingers along the back of the couch, as if they're real enough to feel it. The laughter from the TV certainly isn't. "Do you want to?"  
  
Nakai closes his eyes, takes a long, deep breath.  
  
When he opens them again, he's back in their world, back where he belongs.

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: implied character death (certain members of SMAP), past and off-screen.


End file.
